In Hesiod’s myth, Pandora opened the container that released troubles into the world. The story explains the arrival of suffering through a divine punishment connected with Prometheus’s theft of fire.
Pandora had been sent to Epimetheus, who accepted her despite Prometheus’s warning not to accept gifts from Zeus. When Pandora opened the vessel, destructive forces escaped and spread among humankind. The myth does not present her action in exactly the same way as every later retelling; versions differ in emphasis and detail.
The familiar phrase “Pandora’s box” comes from a long translation history. Hesiod used the Greek word pithos, meaning a large jar or storage vessel. The “box” became popular after later European writers and translators, especially through the Latin phrase associated with Erasmus.